Six months ago, BMW Motorrad gave us a taste of the first major overhaul to the immensely popular R nineT—the renamed BMW R 12 nineT. Since then, murmurs have persisted that the R 12 nineT won’t be the only new bike released on the updated heritage boxer platform. The Bavarian powerhouse has just confirmed this, with the unveiling of the new BMW R 12 cruiser [above].
Yes, cruiser. Despite the legacy of the oft-maligned BMW R1200C and the lackluster reception that the R18 has received, BMW is insistent that what the people want is a boxer-powered cruiser. That said, the R 12 might be their sharpest stab at the genre yet… provided that you’re happy to play fast and loose with the definition of ‘cruiser.’…